Recognition of Accrediting Organizations

Recognition by an outside authority is an important indicator of an accrediting body's quality.

NEASC's Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE) is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a reliable authority on the quality of education for the institutions it accredits. Recognition by the Department of Education provides access to federal financial aid for U.S. students attending institutions accredited by the Commission. Information about accreditation and the U.S. government's recognition process may be found at the Department's website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html.

The Commission is also recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), affirming that its Standards for Accreditation and processes are consistent with the quality, improvement, and accountability expectations that CHEA has established. CHEA is the best single source of information about accreditation in the United States. More information about accreditation and CHEA's recognition process may be found at: http://www.chea.org. A toolkit of information about accreditation is available here: http://www.chea.org/accreditation_toolkit.